Various types of portable ladders have been used heretofore to facilitate access to elevated locations for construction or maintenance purposes. Such ladders are either self-supporting, such as step ladders, or non-self-supporting, such as straight or extension ladders. Straight ladders are available in various fixed lengths. Extension ladders are also available in various, adjustable lengths. Straight and extension ladders are best suited for use in situations where both ends can be supported on and against suitable surfaces for stability and safety purposes. All such ladders are available with different duty ratings, depending upon their intended use.
Of course, regardless of the type of ladder being used, it is important to have it securely supported for stability and safety purposes. Self-supporting step ladders require secure support only at their lower ends. However, straight and extension ladders must be securely supported at both ends. Proper placement and support are critical, especially with long ladders and the higher up workers go on them. Serious injuries can and do result from falling off ladders that move or slip from not being securely supported.
Professional contractors and maintenance workers typically carry several types of fixed and extension ladders for use in different situations, although this tends be duplicative and thus expensive.
However, there are many applications where ladders simply cannot be used safely, if at all. For example, stringing outdoor lights in tall shrubbery or trees in a yard during the holidays can be difficult and unsafe when there is inadequate support for one or both ends of a ladder, or when it is either too high to reach from the ladder. Scaffolding is heavy and too expensive and time consuming to use in such situations. Aerial ladders and hydraulic lift buckets or ‘cherry pickers’ can sometimes be used in such situations, but they tend to be even more expensive and may not be able to access the desired location without damaging the surrounding yard.
A need has thus arisen for an attachment for operably mounting and securely supporting a ladder directly on a vehicle hitch to facilitate access to elevated locations which would otherwise be inaccessible without using expensive scaffolding, aerial ladders and/or cherry pickers.